Clothesrack



Jan. 5 ,1926. 1,568,446

G. B. DOUGLAS CLOTHESRACK Filed May 22, 1924 gnmnfoz 4 a George 13. Douglas I 2 4 50 2 23 mmfwfiw Patented Jan. 5, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE B. DOUGLAS, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

CLOTHESRACK.

Application filed May 22, 1924.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE B. DoUonAs, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of the city of Seattle, in the county of King and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clothesracks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to clothes racks and particularly to racks of a type WhlOh are capable of being readily raised and lowered for convenience in applying to and removing clothes therefrom.

The object of my invention is to make a rack particularly for use in kitchens, for holding cloths, which may be readily raised to an elevation where the cloths thereon are not in the way, and which may be readlly lowered for the purpose of removing cloths therefrom or placing cloths thereon.

My invention consists of certain features and combinations of parts, which will be hereinafter described and then defined by the claims terminating this specification.

In the accompanying drawings my invention is shown as employed in a rack of a convenient kind.

Figure 1 is a top View of the rack, the vertical guide bar upon which it is supported being shown in transverse section.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the rack and its supporting bar.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectlon through the head of the rack, showing more in detail the construction thereof.

Figure 4 is a rear edge view of the lower plate 2 of the arm-holding base 1n a modlfied form.

In connection with the rack and as a guide and support therefor, I employ a, vertical bar 5 which is supported at its upper and lower ends outwardly from a wall or other base so that the head of the rack proper may freely slide thereon. This gulde bar, in the construction shown, is intended to be a bar of wood. This is dictated chiefly by the cheapness and convenience'ofthis material. Itmay be made of any material found suitable and desired. The ends of this bar are supported from a wall or other supporting surface by means of two ofi'set brackets 50.

My invention is more particularly concerned with the mechanism by which the rack may be raised and lowered and held in adjusted position than with the construc- Serial No. 715,043.

tion and mounting of the rack arms or fingers. While I have shown a articular type of rack arms and mounting t erefor, it is evident that the means for raising and lowering these and for holding them when adjusted may be used with racks employing heads and cloth supporting arms of other types of construction.

In the construction chosen for illustration, the arms or fingers holding head is composed of two metal plates 1 and 2. These two plates are in many respects similar, but have certain points of dissimilarity. These plates are spaced apart a suflicient distance to receive between them the pivoted ends of the arms or fingers 3 upon which the cloths are to be carried. Each arm or finger is secured between the two plates and the plates are secured together by pivot pins as 15. To prevent swinging of the arms or fingers 3 too far to one side I may use a stop which is formed by cutting a slight notch in the outer edge of plate 1, as is shown at 14, and bending inward or toward the opposite plate the material of this notch. The notch is intended to be out along one side only, thus forming a triangular shaped ear or tooth, against which the outermost of the arms 3 will engage.

Both upper and lower plates are cut to accommodate the supporting end of the guide bar 5. The lower plate 2 may be cut so as to form a recess extending inward from its rear edge. The material of this recess or a considerable portion thereof at each side may be bent downward so as to form two guide lugs or ears 20 which will engage the side edges of the guide bar 5. I prefer, however, to have a short portion as 22, of the material at each end of the outer front margin of this space, turned downward to form one of the binding edges of a clamp which will grasp the guide bar 5 and hold the head at any point where it is released. The complemental holdin edge is formed by the front edge of the bar 12 of the upper plate, which extends back of the guide bar 5. The intermediate portion 21 is bent or rolled over enough to prevent material engagement with the face of the guide bar 5. (See Fig. 3.)

It is evident that the openings which accommodate the guide bar 5 may be of such size that the head will slide freely along the guide bar when the head is properly controlled as to level. When, however, the

outer or front edge of the head is thrown downward the front edge of the bar 12 of the upper plate and the portions 22 at opposite ends of the front edge of the opening in the lower plate will bite against the two faces of the bar 5 so as to hold the head at any point along the length of the guide bar.

One object in confining the dogging or clamping action of the front edge of the gui-debar-receiving opening in the lower plate to a short section at each end, is to prevent possible defaeement of a major portion of the front face of the guide bar by the said edge, thus making it feasible to use this broad central zone as an advertisementreceiving space. This result is secured by rolling over the central section 22 of this edge enough to clear the face of guide bar 5. If this be not desired the entire edge 22 may be used as a clamping edge, as has been indicated in Figure 4:.

Preferably the upper plate 1 of the head, when cutto form the opening for the reception of the guide bar 5, may be cut in such a way as to form two ears 13 which, if bent upwardly, will form guide ears engaging the edges of the guide bar 5, thus supporting the head against lateral rocking.

To the guide head is secured a controlling bar 4-. This is preferably secured in a somewhat rigid manner to the head. By raising the bar at the head may be leveled or its outer edge swung upwardly enough so that the gravity clutch formed by the two edges of the respective plates may be freed from holding engagement with the guide bar. The head may then be either raised or lowered, as desired. If, whatever the level of the head, the controlling bar l be swung backward or towards the guide bar 5, it will cause the binding edges of the two plates to engage the guide bar and thus hold the head at that point.

The manner in which I prefer to secure the control bar a to the head is by cutting two ears 10 and 23 from respectively the upper and the lower plate. Both of these ears are secured to their respective plates along one edge. The upper ear 10 is pressed upwardly so as to be slightly offset, but with the-maj or part thereof in a plane paral lel with the plane of the plate 1. The controlling bar, having its upper end inserted in the hole thus formed in the plate 1, engages with the ear 10 which forms a stop therefor. The ear 23 cut from the lower plate is bent lownwardly at right angles and is secured against one side face of the controlling bar 4t. This secures the controlling bar firmly to the head so that the rack may be conveniently raised and lowered, released and supported upon the bar 5.

This rack may be lowered to a level where it is easy to reach the arms 3, and may then be raised to such a level that the cloths placed upon these arms will not be in the way. The gripping and release of the rack is in a measure automatic and is controlled by the same action as that used in raising and lowering the rack.

lVhat I claim as my invention is:

1. A vertically adjustable clothes rack comprising a head having two vertically separated metalplates and clothes supporting arms secured by one end between said plates, a vertical supporting and guide bar, the upper plate of the head having a hole for the free passage of the guide bar, the lower plate having a notch in its rear edge for the guide bar, the rear edge of the hole in the upper plate and the front edge of the notch in the lower plate being positioned to bind upon the bar to support the head, and a controlling bar fixed to the head and depending therefrom.

2. A vertically adjustable clothes rack comprising a head having a top and a bottom metal plate and a series of clothes supporting arms pivoted between the plates, a fixed vertieal'guide bar, said plates having guide-bar-receiving openings towards their rear edges adapted to accommodate the guide bar, and when the head is rocked to bind upon the guide bar to thereby support the head,guiding ears at the side edges of said openings in the plates adapted to engage the edges of the guidebar, and a controlling bar fixed in the head and depending alongside of the guide bar. a

3. A vertically adjustable clothes rack comprising a vertical guide bar provided with-end supports maintaining its body outwardly spaced from a wall, a rack head com prising spaced top and bottom plates and rack arms pivoted between said plates, the upper plate having a hole for the passage of the guide'bar and the lower plat-eengaging the front face of the guide bar, and a controller bar fixed to and depending from said head.

signed-at'seattle, King County, VVashington, this 15 day of May 1924.

GEORGE B. DOUGLAS. 

